01What it costs, in one table
| Charge | Amount | Paid by | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creating a freelancer account | ₹0 | — | Always free. |
| Posting a job | ₹0 | — | Always free. |
| Platform commission | 5% | Freelancer | Deducted from each milestone when it is released. |
| Security deposit | 25% | Client | Held, not spent. Returned or applied at the end of the project. |
| Subscription (optional) | ₹799–₹1299/mo | Either | Only if you choose a plan. |
| Withdrawing your balance | ₹0 | — | No platform charge. Your bank or UPI provider may charge. |
02Platform commission
The default commission is 5%. Charged on each milestone release and deducted from the freelancer's payout. The rate that applies to a project is fixed when the project is created and shown before the client funds it.
The rate may differ by work category, by subscription plan and by market. Two things are always true:
- You see the rate before you fund anything. It is fixed on the project when the project is created.
- A later change never reprices agreed work. If we change our rates tomorrow, projects created today keep the rate they were created with.
03Security deposit
A client funds a security deposit of 25% of the project value before work begins. This is not a fee. It is the client’s money, held so that a freelancer who does the work is not left unpaid if the client disappears.
If the client abandons a funded project, up to 20% of the affected amount may be paid to the freelancer as compensation. Otherwise the deposit is returned to the client’s wallet at the end of the project.
04A worked example
A ₹1,00,000 project with a single milestone, at the default rate:
| Client funds the security deposit (25%) | ₹25,000 |
| Client funds the milestone | ₹1,00,000 |
| Platform commission on release (5%) | −₹5,000 |
| Freelancer receives | ₹95,000 |
| Security deposit returned to client | ₹25,000 |
The client’s net cost is ₹1,00,000. The deposit is returned; it is not an additional charge.
05Optional subscriptions
Subscriptions are optional. The platform is fully usable without one.
- Starter — ₹799 per month
- Professional — ₹999 per month
- Elite — ₹1299 per month
Subscriptions renew until cancelled. See the Refund and Cancellation Policy for how to cancel and what happens to the remaining period.
06Payment and withdrawal costs
- FreelanceKar charges nothing to add funds or to withdraw them.
- Your bank, card issuer or UPI provider may charge you. That charge is theirs, not ours, and we do not receive any part of it.
- All escrow accounting is in Indian Rupees. Amounts entered in another currency are converted to INR at the platform's posted rate before funding.
07Taxes
Applicable Indian taxes, including GST on the platform's service fee and any tax required to be deducted at source, are handled in accordance with law. Where tax is deducted from a payout, it is itemised on the invoice.
08When fees change
We will give 30 days’ notice before increasing a fee. Projects created before a change keep the rate they were created with, and a subscription price change takes effect at your next renewal, not mid-term.
Money held in escrow that is never released is returned in full — see Refunds. Money held in escrow that is not released to a freelancer is returned to the client's platform wallet, from where it can be withdrawn.